CONTROLS Synonyms: 196 Similar and Opposite Words

controls 1 of 2

noun

plural of control

as in controllers

a mechanism for adjusting the operation of a device, machine, or system the controls for the player are well marked

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as in hands

the ability to direct the course of something after the tail fell off, the plane went out of the pilot's control firefighters keeping control of the blaze

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in operations

the act or activity of looking after and making decisions about something control of manufacturing operations was given to a new manager with fresh ideas

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as in powers

the right or means to command or control others teachers are responsible for the students under their control

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controls

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of control

as in regulates

to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression) you must learn to control your temper

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as in contains

to gain emotional or mental control of he controlled himself only with the greatest difficulty in the face of his opponent's insulting remarks

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as in rules

to exercise authority or power over circumstances often control the choices we make in life

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as in operates

to look after and make decisions about during the period that she controlled the company it was highly profitable

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of controls

Noun

The wonky physics can't be too wonky, because janky controls can go from amusing to annoying pretty quickly. — Jason Bennett, Arkansas Online, 19 July 2026 Missiles have been fired from drones before, but those were remote-piloted aircraft with a human operating the flight controls from the ground. — David Szondy july 18, New Atlas, 19 July 2026 While Rivian's earlier R1S and R1T models featured minimal buttons, the company sought a middle ground without fully reverting to traditional controls. — Greg Migliore, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 Reduce smoking through measures such as tobacco price controls, raising the minimum age of purchase, and smoke-free policies. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026 Work begins on JetZero’s first demonstrator This aircraft is intended to prove JetZero’s calculations on aerodynamics, structures, manufacturing, and flight controls. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026 Beijing maintains strict controls over religion, which has led to the rise of underground churches. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 5 July 2026 This plan covers up to nine devices and combines ad blocking, privacy protection, malware filtering, and parental controls into a single package. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 3 July 2026 It was not immediately known what caused the crash in a city with strict airspace controls, including a recent ban on drones. — ABC News, 27 June 2026

Verb

Unlike conventional infrared systems that rely on bulky mechanical components to change focus, the new design controls light electronically at the level of individual microscopic pixels. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 2026 Government departments and businesses can keep using Amazon or Microsoft cloud infrastructure—but Valarian’s layer controls exactly what data leaves, who touches it, and when. — Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 13 July 2026 Iranian leaders have been defiant that Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz. — Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR, 13 July 2026 Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, a key power center in the country’s theocracy that controls its ballistic missile arsenal, sharply rejected America’s statement. — Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026 Argentina controls the ball well and presses hard, but everything in the attack goes through Lionel Messi. — Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 12 July 2026 Instead, the membrane itself controls the flow of medicine into the body, Mendelsohn added. — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 11 July 2026 When models become interchangeable inputs, pricing power moves to whoever controls the testing, the routing, and the compliance sign-off. — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 History shows family successions, whether in North Korea or Syria, tend to happen through rigid authoritarian control, with the transfer of power underwritten by whoever controls the military. — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for controls

Noun

During these sleep periods, New Horizons remains in a largely unpowered but stable mode, while its flight computer keeps close tabs on the spacecraft’s condition and sends back a weekly beacon to flight controllers.

— Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
Training robotic controllers through simulation can require hours of computation on expensive GPU hardware, making the process both time-consuming and costly.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 July 2026

Definition of controllers

Noun

McNeeley had the ball in his hands a lot, and that was by design.

— Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026
And in the coming years, humanoid robots with dexterous hands will automate the other parts of lab work, such as handling mice, or slicing thin layers of tissue.

— Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of hands

Noun

Allen, who has been tracking the conflict, told CNN that drones are now used to monitor enemy movements, support ground operations, strike supply lines and attack infrastructure.

— Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Hiring Epstein as president of baseball operations after the 2011 season led to sweeping changes.

— Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 19 July 2026

Definition of operations

Noun

Spain is deepening its embrace of the Chinese car industry even as other European powers call for protectionist measures to shield local automakers.

— J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 16 July 2026
The Supreme Court didn’t buy it, ruling in February that the president couldn’t use the emergency powers law to impose tariffs at all.

— Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 16 July 2026

Definition of powers

Verb

Kalshi agrees with the federal government that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission — which regulates swaps and derivatives — has the sole power to regulate prediction markets.

— Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 19 July 2026
Asked for help Just four arson and bomb investigators work for the state fire marshal, the division that regulates fireworks.

— Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of regulates

Verb

Ify’s box contains a fake $100 bill, but Catherine decides to keep her box.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 July 2026
Their saliva contains a sugar molecule found in mammalian products that, when introduced to us through their bite, can trigger an allergy to red meat and sometimes dairy.

— Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 14 July 2026

Definition of contains

Verb

Disclosure rules under the ESPR, which big businesses are already expected to comply with, will also take effect for their medium-sized counterparts in 2030.

— Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 14 July 2026
Similarly, a party may take a view of a legal issue which is entirely reasonable but later the court rules otherwise.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of rules

Verb

The local federation operates a number of programs directly and supports a wide range of education, cultural, religious and security initiatives meant to strengthen the Jewish community.

— Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 13 July 2026
Gran Grif operates in the country’s heartland, where dozens of houses were looted and burned and during a predawn assault in March in the town of Jean-Denis in the Lower Artibonite region.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026